Indian Kebabs

Usually served as an appetizer with chutneys and dips, kebabs are made with cubed or minced meat and mild spices. Though lamb is the original meat used in kebabs, this dish has been localised to include beef, goat, chicken and other meat varieties. In India, kebab has been a symbol of opulence. Most of the famous kebabs like Galouti, Shami and Kakori originated in the Royal kitchens. Traditionally served in the Moghul courts, today it has transformed into a common street food. Mughlai kebabs are made in tandoor while the Awadhi ones are shaped into patties shallow fried on a tawa (flat frying pan).

They can be served on plates or sometimes in sandwiches accompanied by one or more flavours of chutney (sauce). Kebabs are usually best savoured along with drinks or even as part of a meal. The spices used in preparation give Indian kebabs a unique taste which is quite unique and captivating. Apart from meat kebabs, you can also enjoy vegetarian kebabs made of soybean, paneer (a kind of cheese) and even some vegetables .

Shami Kebabs are small round patties of minced lamb and lentils, cooked in a Tandoor oven. Sometimes they are exactly the same as the Sheek Kebab, but formed into a flat pattie rather than formed onto a skewer like a sausage. Better restaurants differentiate between the preparation of the two types of kebab. Usually served with a small side salad and Yoghurt and Mint Sauce. Made of minced beef, with paste of lentils and chopped onion and coriander and green chillies usually added to the mixture, which is kneaded in a disc-like shape and fried. Best results are obtained when fried animal fat or ghee in a brass utensil over a coal fire. In some places, a binding agent is used to keep the kabab together.

Sheek/Sheik Kebabs consists of minced lamb mixed with lemon juice, coriander, onion, garlic and green chilli. The meat is shaped onto a skewer, like a sausage, and cooked in the Tandoor Oven (or failing a Tandoor oven, sometimes on a charcoal barbeque). Usually served with a small side salad and Yoghurt and Mint Sauce.

Chicken Tikka - A tandoori kebab, made of cubed chicken marinated with yogurt and spices. Tikkas are usually eaten with green coriander chutney or green mint chutney, tamarind chutney and onion salad with lemon.

Galouti Kebabs - One of the more delicate kebabs from South Asia, made of minced goat meat is Galouti Kebab. Galouti means "melt in your mouth." Traditionally, green papaya is used to make it tender. After being mixed with a few select herbs and spices, the very finely ground meat is shaped into patties and fried in pure ghee until they are browned. Galouti kebabs are one of the many delicious kebabs that are the mainstay of Awadhi cuisine from Lucknow in North Indian Uttar Pradesh. Try these kebabs with Mint-Coriander chutney.

Kakori Kebabs - One of the famous Mughlai Kebab. Kakori is a term used to describe the most softest kebabs in the world. In fact kakori kabab have a tagline attached to them “melt in your mouth kebabs”, meaning they are so soft and succulent that they will just melt away in your mouth. On the other hand, kebab is referred to a meat that is cooked over or next to flames.

Aloo Tikki - A spicy potato and onion cutlet that’s been pan-fried. It’s similar in appearance to a fritter or a more put-together latke. Aloo tikki is usually served with chutneys and yogurt on the side, versus on top—dip your tikki into these liberally. Hot tip: McDonald’s India makes a really fabulous McAloo Tikki Burger, with an aloo tikki patty, sweet tomato aioli, onion, and tomato, which has now achieved cult status in the southern Asian subcontinent.